Last year’s National Recycling Award shows that residents in the Rochford District are among the best in the country when it comes to recycling and now we need your help to expand the service further.

Since the rollout of the Maximise Recycling Scheme, recycling rates have increased to nearly 70 per cent. We want to increase these rates further by providing a food and garden waste collection service to flats and mobile home sites.

The majority of residents in flats and mobile home sites have access to communal recycling bins for the collection of paper, cans, glass, plastics and cardboard. In addition to these recycling facilities the Council will also be adding a green and yellow compostables bin for food and garden waste.

The changes, which started in January 2010, will be rolled out gradually on a site-by-site basis. The recycling bins will be clearly re-labelled and each resident will receive letters and leaflets explaining the changes.

Here’s a quick guide of what can go in each bin

Compostables: The green bin with a yellow lid is for kitchen scraps and garden materials including: meat, fish, bones, dairy produce, fruit and vegetables, garden cuttings, flowers and leaves.

Recyclables: The grey bin with a blue lid is for paper and cardboard and the grey bin with a grey or white lid is for plastic bottles, plastic food packaging, glass jars and bottles and metal food and drink cans.

Non Recyclables: The grey bin with a purple lid is for things that cannot be recycled including plastic wrappers, cling film, polystyrene, bubble wrap and nappies.

Please continue to recycle and compost as much as possible.

If you require any further information please visit www.rochford.gov.uk/recycle email: recycle@rochford.gov.uk
or phone 01702 318111.